the form of grasshoppers, locusts, crickets,
and cockroaches, and occasionally small or
even half-grown mice can be offered. It is
important to maintain an adequate supply of
minerals and vitamins; I always dust the
insects with Korvimin ZVT ® before feeding
them to the monitors.
Next, it is crucial to sexually synchronize the
pair. This means that the animals should be
separated for some time, even if they
tolerate and do not stress each other. During
this period you should increase the humidity
significantly by spraying several times a day
in the enclosure; an ultrasonic evaporator
can also be used for this purpose. After a few
days you can reopen the passages in the
dividing wall and check how the animals
behave. You will see
immediately if both male and
female are ready for mating.
The male will follow the female
for extended periods without
becoming aggressive. When the
female is ready she stops and
the male climbs on her back and
waves his head from side to
side. With my animals, mating
usually starts when the female is
hanging on a side wall.
Copulations last between 30 and
45 minutes, and further pairings
normally take place over the
next few days. If the female
then increases significantly in
body size, one can assume that
mating was successful.
To give the gravid female a little
more peace, I separate the
animals again. Oviposition
occurs about six weeks after
mating. First, the female looks
for a suitable place for the eggs
and digs several trial holes,
either into the bark chips on the
floor of the enclosure or in the
nesting box. The eggs measure
approximately 35mm in length,
with a diameter of 20mm.
I remove them immediately
from the enclosure and transfer
them into an incubator, using
damp Vermiculite ® or Perlite ® as
Right: the back and side walls
of enclosures are covered with
sturdy cork plates to enlarge
the active area for the animals.
a medium, and incubation temperatures
maintained between 27 and 29.5 o C. When
incubating eggs of V. prasinus, it is very im-
portant that they have no direct contact with
water, otherwise the embryos will die. It is
therefore important to ensure that condensa-
tion, which may possibly form on the lid of
the incubation box, does not drop onto the
eggs. After oviposition, the female should be
encouraged to take food as soon as possible.
Shortly thereafter, my animals will take in-
sects (locusts and cockroaches) and baby
mice.
Hatching and rearing of the
young.
Occasionally, during incubation, check that all
the eggs look good. That means they are